:Thailand Geography
Total area:
514,000 km2
Land area:
511,770 km2
Comparative area:
slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming
Land boundaries:
4,863 km total; Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km, Malaysia 506
km
Coastline:
3,219 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
boundary dispute with Laos; unresolved maritime boundary with Vietnam
Climate:
tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry,
cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot
and humid
Terrain:
central plain; eastern plateau (Khorat); mountains elsewhere
Natural resources:
tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum,
lignite, fluorite
Land use:
arable land 34%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and
woodland 30%; other 31%; includes irrigated 7%
Environment:
air and water pollution; land subsidence in Bangkok area
Note:
controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore
:Thailand People
Population:
57,624,180 (July 1992), growth rate 1.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
20 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
35 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
67 years male, 71 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
2.2 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Thai (singular and plural); adjective - Thai
Ethnic divisions:
Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%
Religions:
Buddhism 95%, Muslim 3.8%, Christianity 0.5%, Hinduism 0.1%, other 0.6%
(1991)
Languages:
Thai; English is the secondary language of the elite; ethnic and regional
dialects
Literacy:
93% (male 96%, female 90%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
30,870,000; agriculture 62%, industry 13%, commerce 11%, services (including
government) 14% (1989 est.)
Organized labor:
309,000 union members (1989)
:Thailand Government
Long-form name:
Kingdom of Thailand
Type:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
Bangkok
Administrative divisions:
72 provinces (changwat, singular and plural); Ang Thong, Buriram,
Chachoengsao, Chai Nat, Chaiyaphum, Chanthaburi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai,
Chon Buri, Chumphon, Kalasin, Kamphaeng Phet, Kanchanaburi, Khon Kaen,
Krabi, Krung Thep Mahanakhon, Lampang, Lamphun, Loei, Lop Buri, Mae Hong
Son, Maha Sarakham, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon
Ratchasima, Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan, Narathiwat, Nong Khai,
Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Pattani, Phangnga, Phatthalung, Phayao,
Phetchabun, Phetchaburi, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya,
Phrae, Phuket, Prachin Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong, Ratchaburi,
Rayong, Roi Et, Sakon Nakhon, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram,
Sara Buri, Satun, Sing Buri, Sisaket, Songkhla, Sukhothai, Suphan Buri,
Surat Thani, Surin, Tak, Trang, Trat, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Uthai
Thani, Uttaradit, Yala, Yasothon
Independence:
1238 (traditional founding date); never colonized
Constitution:
22 December 1978; new constitution approved 7 December 1991
Legal system:
based on civil law system, with influences of common law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; martial law in effect since 23 February 1991
military coup
National holiday:
Birthday of His Majesty the King, 5 December (1927)
Executive branch:
monarch, interim prime minister, three interim deputy prime ministers,
interim Council of Ministers (cabinet), Privy Council; following the
military coup of 23 February 1991 a National Peace-Keeping Council was set
up
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly (Rathasatha) consists of an upper house or
Senate (Vuthisatha) and a lower house or House of Representatives
(Saphaphoothan-Rajsadhorn)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Sarndika)
Leaders:
Chief of State:
King PHUMIPHON Adunlayadet (since 9 June 1946); Heir Apparent Crown Prince
WACHIRALONGKON (born 28 July 1952)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Anan PANYARACHUN (since 10 June 1992)
Political parties and leaders:
Justice Unity Party (Samakki Tham); Chart Thai Party; Solidarity Party; Thai
Citizens Party (TCP, Prachakorn Thai); Social Action Party (SAP); Democrat
Party (DP); Force of Truth Party (Palang Dharma); New Aspiration Party;
Rassadorn Party; Muanchon Party; Puangchon Chothai Party
Suffrage:
universal at age 21
:Thailand Government
Elections:
House of Representatives:
last held 22 March 1992 (next to be held by NA); results - percent of vote
by party NA; seats - (360 total) Samakki Tham 79, Chart Thai Party 74, New
Aspiration Party 72, DP 44, Palang Dharma 41, SAP 31, TCP 7, Solidarity
Party 6, Rassadorn 4, Muanchon 1, Puangchon Chotahi 1
Communists:
illegal Communist party has 500 to 1,000 members; armed Communist insurgents
throughout Thailand total 200 (est.)
Member of:
APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO,
ITU, LORCS, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador-designate PHIRAPHONG Kasemsi; Embassy at 2300 Kalorama Road NW,
Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-7200; there are Thai Consulates
General in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
US:
Ambassador David F. LAMBERTSON; Embassy at 95 Wireless Road, Bangkok
(mailing address is APO AP 96546); telephone [66] (2) 252-5040; FAX [66] (2)
254-2990; there is a US Consulate General in Chiang Mai and Consulates in
Songkhla and Udorn
Flag:
five horizontal bands of red (top), white, blue (double width), white, and
red
:Thailand Economy
Overview:
Thailand, one of the more advanced developing countries in Asia, enjoyed a
year of 8% growth in 1991, although down from an annual average of 11%
growth between 1987 and 1990. The increasingly sophisticated manufacturing
sector benefited from export-oriented investment. The manufacturing and
service sectors have accounted for the lion's share of economic growth.
Thailand's traditional agricultural sector continued to become less
important to the overall economy in 1991. The trade deficit continued to
increase in 1991, to $11 billion; earnings from tourism and remittances grew
marginally as a result of the Gulf War; and Thailand's import bill grew,
especially for manufactures and oil. The government has followed fairly
sound fiscal and monetary policies. Aided by increased tax receipts from the
fast-moving economy; Bangkok recorded its fourth consecutive budget surplus
in 1991. The government is moving ahead with new projects - especially for
telecommunications, roads, and port facilities - needed to refurbish the
country's overtaxed infrastructure. Political unrest and the military's
shooting of antigovernment demonstrators in May 1992 have caused
international businessmen to question Thailand's political stability.
Thailand's general economic outlook remains good, however, assuming the
continuation of the government's progrowth measures.
GNP:
exchange rate conversion - $92.6 billion, per capita $1,630; real growth
rate 8% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.6% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4.1% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues $17.9 billion; expenditures $17.9 billion, including capital
expenditures of $5.0 billion (FY92 est.)
Exports:
$27.5 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
commodities:
machinery and manufactures 62%, food 28%, crude materials 7% (1990)
partners:
US 23.4%, Japan 17.2%, Singapore 7.3%, Germany 5.3%, Hong Kong 4.8%, UK
4.4%, Netherlands 4.3%, Malaysia, France, China (1990)
Imports:
$39.0 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
commodities:
machinery and manufactures 67%, chemicals l0%, fuels 9%, crude materials 6%
(1990)
partners:
Japan 30.2%, US 12%, Singapore 6.9%, Taiwan 5%, Germany 4.8%, China 3.2%,
South Korea, Malaysia, UK (1990)
External debt:
$25.1 billion (1990)
Industrial production:
growth rate 14% (1990 est.); accounts for about 25% of GDP
Electricity:
7,400,000 kW capacity; 37,500 million kWh produced, 660 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
tourism is the largest source of foreign exchange; textiles and garments,
agricultural processing, beverages, tobacco, cement, other light
manufacturing, such as jewelry; electric appliances and components,
integrated circuits, furniture, plastics; world's second-largest tungsten
producer and third-largest tin producer